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A critical appraisal of the use of ultrasound in hepatic steatosis
Stefano Ballestri, Fabio Nascimbeni, Simonetta Lugari, Amedeo Lonardo & Giampiero Francica
Pages 667-681 | Received 05 Feb 2019, Accepted 16 May 2019, Accepted author version posted online: 18 May 2019, Published online: 29 May 2019
Download citation https://doi.org/10.1080/17474124.2019.1621164
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) spans steatosis through nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). NAFLD carries an increased risk of cardio-metabolic and liver-related events accounting for a substantial economic burden. Given that the natural history of NAFLD is critically dependent on the stage of fibrosis, non-invasively identifying the subgroup of patients at a higher risk of progressive disease is key.
Areas covered: This review highlights the recent developments in the use of ultrasound-based techniques in NAFLD and their performance in predicting metabolic derangements, cardiovascular risk, and progression of liver disease, notably including diagnosis of fibrosing NASH, identification, and treatment of HCC.
Expert opinion: Our ability to identify NAFLD patients and to estimate steatofibrosis with various ultrasound-based techniques has undergone tremendous progress over the last few years. However, it is more difficult to capture the inflammatory component of NASH with such ultrasound-assisted techniques. Moreover, semi-quantitative, quantitative, elastographic, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound techniques are increasingly being appreciated and made available but not all such techniques will gain success in the clinical and research area. Therefore, further research will precisely define the role of the most innovative ultrasonographic techniques, while reducing costs and increasing feasibility.
KEYWORDS: Cardio-metabolic risk, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, controlled attenuation parameter, hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver stiffness measurement, metabolic derangements, NAFLD/NASH, portal hypertension, shear wave elastography
Additional information
Funding
This paper was not funded.
Article highlights
Ultrasound-based techniques have dramatically improved our capacity to non-invasively identify NAFLD patients and precisely assess steatosis.
The inflammatory-fibrotic component of NAFLD/NASH, however, is the least susceptible to be captured with such techniques.
Further research remains to be done, therefore, to precisely ascertain the role, if any, of more recent technical advancements, reduce costs, and increase their feasibility.
Conventional B-mode ultrasonographic imaging maintains a key role in the surveillance aimed at an early diagnosis of HCC.
CEUS is a promising tool in assisting loco-regional ablative maneuvers which would be difficult to perform with conventional B-mode ultrasonography. |
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